Porsche introduced the 964-based Carrera Cup in 1990 as a single-model "Spec-racer" championship to replace the successful 944 Cup series. Just 120 examples were sold to privateer drivers in 1991. Conceived by Helmut Flegl and Roland Kussmaul, all were carefully built from cars pulled off the regular assembly line and tuned so that they would provide equal performance on the track. The Carrera Cup series was staged nationally, regionally, and then internationally, often running as support events for Formula 1. They proved quite popular and successful.

Carrera Cup cars were fitted with a full welded-in Wilfreid Matter roll cage, a single Recaro racing seat with six-point safety harness, and a fire-suppression system. The suspension was stiffened with shorter springs which lowered the car about two in., Bilstein gas-filled competition shock absorbers, and fully adjustable anti-roll bars, with five pickup points in front and three for the rear. Brakes were borrowed from the Turbo. The unassisted steering was upgraded with a faster ratio. Alloy wheels, 17-in. in diameter, were 8-in. wide in front and 9.5-in. in the rear, designed to prevent the loss of the tire in case of pressure loss.

The normally aspirated air-cooled six-cylinder engines were selected by factory race engineers for equal output. They ran without air filters, the stock dual-mass flywheel was replaced with a single disc, and the electronic engine control units sealed to prevent tampering. It is noteworthy that these cars were equipped with catalytic converters. In 1992, 45 Carrera Cup cars were brought into the U.S. to run a prospective race series to run as support events for CART races, much as they ran on F1 weekends around the world. However, that plan never came to fruition, and the cars were quietly converted to street-legal form and sold.

This immaculate 964 Carrera Cup was delivered in Grand Prix White (908) with a pair of black Recaro sport seats, Sabelt four-point racing harnesses, a black dashboard, black lightweight door cards, and a Type 930 S steering wheel with a painted Porsche crest. There is a 300 kph speedometer, and it is equipped with correct oversize Cup wheels (8- and 9.5-in. diameter with spacers) and brakes, which have been upgraded with slotted aftermarket rotors. There are correct spherical bearing strut-shock mounts, a driver-operable ignition cut-off switch in the front trunk, where a strong transverse brace to reinforce the McPherson struts can also be found. A simple metal rod replaces the 964's normal pneumatic hood struts. The trunk area also stores a correct collapsible spare tire. The only concession to driver convenience is the retention of standard 964 electric window lifts.

This car's build sheet indicates that it was originally sold in August 1991 to a German client, and then exported to Japan via MIZWA Limited in Tokyo and registered for street use in July 1994. Owned by an enthusiast in Nagoya, it appears to have been stored for several years. It carries a sticker in the engine bay noting that it was serviced in 2014 with a recorded mileage of 29,767 km, which a marque expert says is likely original and correct. It is currently showing 30,472 km. As it was more than 25 years old, this car was imported to the U.S. by the current owner under a Japanese export title in late 2016. This very desirable first-series Carrera Cup 964 presents very nicely, with all original body panels and minimal paint repairs. It has been thoroughly inspected and driven to ensure that all systems operate properly, and it has been recently given a full service, including Porsche Classic oil by a factory-trained Porsche technician.

Carrera Cup 964s come to market infrequently; here is a rare opportunity for the serious Porsche collector to add one to his or her stable for show or track day use.